Administrative burdens reduction
On this page:
NEW: Communication of the Commission on administrative burdens 
[87 KB] 
(22 October 2009) - Annexes [706 KB]
On these pages, you will find information about the Action Programme for Reducing Administrative Burdens in the EU with special emphasis on the involvement of stakeholders. They also include an on-line questionnaire where stakeholders can submit ideas on how to reduce administrative burdens imposed on businesses.
Regulation is important and necessary, but implementation can also entail costs. Some of these expenses are linked to legal obligations to provide information either to public or private parties. These are called administrative costs.
The Commission introduced in 2006 a distinction between administrative costs and administrative burdens: the latter designate costs specifically linked to information that businesses would not collect and provide in the absence of a legal obligation.Since 2007, the Commission has been conducting a large-scale operation to measure administrative costs and reduce administrative burdens. According to estimates, it would be feasible to reduce administrative costs by as much as 25% by 2012. This would have a significant economic impact on the EU economy - equivalent to a 1.4% increase in the level of GDP.
Measuring administrative costs and reducing administrative burdens
The Action Programme for Reducing Administrative Burdens in the European Union, presented by the European Commission in January 2007, demonstrates in concrete terms the way in which the Commission intends to work with Member States to cut administrative burdens on businesses by a quarter by 2012.
The Action Programme was endorsed by the Spring European Council in March 2007 [212 KB] . The Council specifically agreed to the joint reduction target and invited Member States to "set national targets of comparable ambition".
The Programme focuses on information obligations in thirteen selected priority areas including company law, employment relations, taxation/VAT, statistics, agriculture, and transport. Its aims are to measure administrative burdens in these key sectors and identify information obligations that should be reduced.
In addition, the Action Programme included a first package of ten concrete reduction measures, for unprecedented fast track action. These measures together would reduce the burdens on businesses by EUR 1.3 billion on an annual basis. Of the first 10 fast track actions, more than half have already been adopted and the rest should follow in the coming months.
High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on Administrative Burdens
On 31 August 2007, the Commission set up the "High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on Administrative Burdens", which has a three-year mandate [27 KB] to advise on the implementation of the Action Programme. On 13 September, Mr. Stoiber was appointed as the group's chair. The other members were appointed on 23 November 2007 and the group held its inaugural meeting on 17 January 2008.
Edmund Stoiber and José Manuel Barroso (from left to right)
The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, announced on 13 September 2007 the nomination of Edmund Stoiber as chair of the High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on Administrative Burdens: "Mr Stoiber is a committed European and an outstanding personality of high repute with more than thirty years of experience at political, legislative and administrative levels. He has personally been involved at the forefront of efforts to improve legislation in Bavaria, Germany and in Europe. I am therefore delighted to count on his important contribution to what is the flagship project for the Commission."
Vice-President Verheugen welcomed the appointment of Mr Stoiber and underlined the economic importance of the exercise highlighting that achieving this objective could lead to an increase in the level of EU GDP of approximately 1.4%.
Members of the High Level Group
The Members of the Group [12 KB] have first-hand experience in better regulation and cover the 13 policy areas in which administrative costs are being measured. The group includes the leaders of several bodies charged with fighting red tape at Member State level, representatives from industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), trade unions as well as environmental and consumer organisations.
More information, including the group's mandate, is available on the High Level Group page.
High Level Group of National Regulatory Experts
On 28 February 2006 the Commission set up a group of national regulatory experts to advise on its general strategy to simplify and improve European legislation and to facilitate the development of better regulation measures at both national and EU level. The group serves as an efficient interface between the Commission and key governmental authorities at the Member State level in order to assist the Commission in improving the regulatory environment for enterprises, industry, consumers, the social partners, and citizens at large.
The group is composed of high-level national experts [21 KB] (REM update link with latest list) appointed by the Commission, acting on proposals from the Member States, and is open for observers from acceding countries. To focus better on improving the general regulatory policy for enterprises, industry, consumers, the social partners, and citizens at large, the HLG should not give opinions on specific legislative proposals.
For more information on the tasks of this group, please view the mandate [37 KB] .